As colder winds are begin to bluster through Europe’s holiday hot spots, the same be said for the charges levied on UK card holders that use their accounts abroad.

In coming months, the Nationwide Building Society will withdraw its popular commission-free use while abroad, charging a fee when accessing bank accounts using a debit card.

This is a fee that most other banks already charge for debit card use abroad, with fees of up to £4 for every £100 spent, which is on top of exchange fees and any additional costs.

The Nationwide FlexAccount is now being changed in order to reward loyal customers at the expense of people that recently opened an account to avoid paying charges.

The commission-free withdrawals are to be replaced by a free travel insurance policy

A concerning number of Nationwide bank account customers are said to be ditching their accounts, despite the building society insisting that its fees will still remain lower than most competitors after the changes.

The boss of one of Britain's leading challenger banks has called for further measures to make current account switching simpler, amid concerns that momentum is being lost in the battle for market share.